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The British Medical Association (BMA) has issued a warning against what it calls public "fearmongering" regarding the ongoing influenza outbreak, while its members decide on if they should proceed with scheduled industrial action in England the coming week.

BMA Reaction to Government Concerns

This comes after the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, expressed "very anxious" about the potential "combined impact" of soaring counts of flu patients in hospitals and the upcoming resident doctor strikes.

The head of the BMA's resident doctors' group, Dr Jack Fletcher, remarked that while the union was not "minimizing" the severity of flu, Mr. Streeting "ought not to be scaremongering the public into thinking that the NHS will not be able to look after them."

"In our role as physicians, we at the BMA wish to ensure that patients remain safe," a letter from the union noted.

Industrial Action Vote and Possible Schedule

The outcome of a BMA ballot is expected on Monday. Should members vote no, a five-day strike will commence on Wednesday.

Ministers says its offer includes legislation that prioritises British medical graduates for training posts starting next year and offers to cover the costs professional development costs.

Yet, the deal omits a pay rise. The Prime Minister has commented that pay for resident doctors has grown by 28.9% over the past three years.

Appeals for Attention on a Solution

In a announcement, the BMA urged the health secretary to "concentrate on offering a deal that will stop next week's strikes going ahead, rather than making claims that strike action could cause the NHS to collapse."

The union has also notified chief executives of NHS Trusts in England, indicating that, should there be a strike, resident doctors may be called in to work to "ensure safe patient care."

Government Response and Influenza Statistics

Speaking to media, Mr. Streeting said the present circumstances was "probably the worst pressure the NHS has faced since Covid." He asked why the BMA hadn't taken up an offer to push the strike back to January.

Repeating the health secretary, the prime minister said the "irresponsible" strikes "should not happen" while the NHS is facing its "most vulnerable moment since the pandemic."

Concerning the flu outbreak, experts note it has arrived sooner than usual this winter. An average of 2,660 patients per day were in hospital with flu in England last week – the greatest for this time of year on record in 2021.

However, these records only date back to 2021 and so do not capture the two worst flu seasons of the past 15 years.

Despite the rising numbers, the medical director for the NHS in London said the flu situation was "within manageable limits" of what the NHS could cope with and that hospitals were better prepared for large disease outbreaks since the Covid pandemic.

The union stated it will ask its members whether the government's latest offer will be enough to cancel Wednesday's strikes. If members vote in favor, a detailed vote would be held on resolving the dispute completely.